Revolving book-rack



2 Sheets- -Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. D. MEADS. REVOLVING BOOK RACK.

Patented Nov. 19, 1895.

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- H '1). MEADS. V REVOLVING BOOK RACK. Ne. 549,932. Patented N07. 19, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY DELMER MEADS, OF MONROEVILLE, INDIANA.

REVOLVING BOOK-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,927, dated November 19, 1895.

Applicatioi' filed June 21, 1895. Serial No. 553,575. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY DELMER MEADs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monroeville, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Revolving Book-Rack, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in revolving book-racks.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of revolving bookracks and to provide a simple and inexpensive one capable of afiording convenient book-supports and of enabling the latter to be adjusted to enable the contents of books to be conveniently inspected. A

A further object of the invention is to afford a convenient support for a lamp and to enable the same to be adjusted to shed its light properly on a book.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a revolving book rack -or case constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective "iew', illustrating the construction of the double hingejoint for mounting the adjustable book supports or rests.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a vertically-disposed tubular standard adjustably mounted by means of a set-screw 2 in a vertical opening or socket 3 of a base 4:, which consists of the said socket 3 and legs fixed to and extending outward from the socket, as shown. The tubular standard has mounted on it a book case or rack 5, preferably rectangular, and composed of a top, bottom, and connecting-slats, and provided at its top and bottom with central openings for the reception of the vertical standard.

At opposite ends or sides of the top of the book case or rack are hingedly mounted inclined shelves 6, provided at their lower edges with supporting-strips, and having at their ends plates 7, provided with perforated ears for the reception of pivots 8. The hinged shelves are adaptedto be swung upward or downward to support a book in the desired position to enable the contents of the same to be conveniently inspected.

When the shelves 6 are inclined and arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, they are supported by the edges of'the top of the rack, and they are adapted when not in use to be folded inward upon the upper face of the rack 01' case. When in this position, the shelves are supported by the top of the rack or case.

At the upper end of the standard is swiveled a substantially V-shaped bracket 8, hav

ing a central sdcket, and diverging from the I socket and having its arms terminating in horizontal portions. The .upper end of the standard is reduced to form an annular -shoulder for supporting the bracket. The horizontally-disposed portions of the diverging arms of the bracket are provided with guideopenings 9 for the reception of angularlybent supporting-bars 10, composed of horizontal upper portions, downwardly-inclined intermediate portions, and horizontally-disposed. lower portions 11, which are down wardly olfset or located below the bracket 8 by reason of the particular shape of the supporting-bars. The upper horizontallydisposed portions 1O are arranged edgewise in the openings 9 of the bracket and are clamped at any desired adjustment by set-screws 12, and they are slightly laterally ofifset from the opposite side of the center of the tubular standard in order to clear a vertical stem 13 of a substantially L-shaped lamp-support 14, whereby the supporting-bars 10 may be adjusted inward and outward without coming in contact with the lamp-support.

A book-rest 15 is adjustably mounted at the outer end of each supporting-bar 10, and is connected with the same by a double-hinge joint, which permits the book-rest to be swung horizontally and vertically, and which consists of a leaf or section 16, having a horizontally-arranged ear and a vertically-disposed ear. The horizontally-disposed ear is perforated for the reception of a pivot and is arranged within a bifurcation of the lower portion 11 of the supporting-bar 10, and the verone of the shelves:

port may be readily adjusted to .lar standard serves as the pivot of the rack mounted on the standard and provided with oppositely disposed arms, supporting bars adjustably secured to said arms, book rests or su ports adjustably connected with the outer ends of the supporting bars, and a lamp support having a stem to fit in the tubular standard, and adapted to swing in the direction ofeither book support or rest, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a eled bracket mounted on the standard and provided with oppositely disposed arms, supporting bars adjustably secured to said arms, book rests located atthe outer ends of the supporting bars, and the leaves or sections having horizontally and vertically disposed ears pivoted to .the supporting bars and to the book rests, whereby the latter are adapted to be swung upward and downward and horizontally, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a supporting bar, the leaf or section provided with a horizontally disposed ear, and having a vertical ear, the former being pivoted to the supporting bar, and a book rest provided with a yoke receiving the vertical ear and pivoted to the same and engaging the bottom of the leaf or section, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a vertical tubular standard, a book rack supported by the same, a bracket mounted on the standard and located above the book rack, and capable of rotation independent of the rack, book rests carried by the bracket, and a lamp support having a vertical stem fitting in the upper end of the tubular standard, the latter forming the pivot for the book rack and said bracket and providing a socket or bearing for the lamp support, substantially as described. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY DELMER MEADS.

\Vitnesses:

E. E. NIooDEMUs, A. W. BALLINGER.

tical ear is pivoted in a yoke or keeper 17, which is secured to the back of the book support or rest 15. The yoke or keeper 17 is substantially U -shaped and is preferably constructed of a single piece of metal and is provided with laterally-bent portions torming attachm ent-plates and secured to the back of the book support or rest.

Each book support or rest 15 is provided at the lower edge with a supporting strip or flange and is adapted to be tilted upward or swung horizontally, and the keeper or yoke cxtendin g in rear of the vertical ear is adapted to engage the section or leaf 16 to prevent the book rest or support from swinging downward too far.

The lamp-support consists of a horizontal arm or portion, provided with a ring or other device for receiving a lamp, and the vertical stern arranged within the tubular standard and adapted to be secured at any desired adjustment by a clamping-screw 18. The horizontal arm of the lamp-support is adapted to be swung to either side of a book rack or case in order that the light may be thrown on a book to suit the reader.

It will be seen that the revolving book-rack is excee'din gly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it enables heavy books, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, to be conveniently handled, and that the lamp-supthrow the light on either book support or rest or either standard, a swiv- It will also be seen that the vertical tubuand of the bracket upon which the book-rests are mounted, and also provides a socket or bearing for the lamp-support.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is- 1. The combination of a tubular standard, a rack or case mounted thereon, a swiveled bracket located above the case or rack and 

